Writer: Jude Ellison S. Doyle
Art: Letizia Cadonici
Colors: Alessandro Santoro
Letters: Becca Carey
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $4.99
Release Date: March 22nd, 2023
Have you ever moved to a new town or city? Remember how strange and awkward it felt being in a new place you were unfamiliar with, where you didn’t know anybody? Well, prepare to feel that way again, because The Neighbors #1 kicks off a new 5-issue horror miniseries filled with dread and atmosphere, where a family moves to a new town and find their neighbors to be incredibly creepy and possibly homicidal also.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read The Neighbors #1 Review.
The Story
There are two levels to The Neighbors #1. On one level, it’s a family drama where the mother has recently married a trans man, and daughter Casey is wrestling with her new family. The tension between the daughter and her mother (as well as her trans stepfather) is palpable. On another level, the new neighborhood that the family moves to is incredibly creepy and as tense as things are between the family, their surroundings and the bizarre characters living nearby are even more anxiety-inducing.
The family is introduced as they’re moving into their new home (which looks eerily similar to the Murder House from Season One of “American Horror Story”) and we get a good introduction to all of them, including the youngest child Isobel, Casey’s stepsister, who, like most young kids, has an insatiable curiosity that seems destined to lead her to harm.
The focal character of the book seems to be Casey, as we watch her become frustrated with everything around her, and who can I blame her? In one scene in a local diner, she tries to order a vegetarian dish, only to be told by the emotionless waitress that the only choices are steak and eggs or steak and potato, as if the concept of vegetarian food never made it to this tiny town in the middle of nowhere.
Midway through the book is when the creepy factor really gets dialed up a few notches, as different shadowy characters visit the house. Also, there’s an old crone next door playing with snakes and muttering deep into the night. Yeah, definitely not a place that’s going to have a block party or barbecue. And from there, it just gets more horrific.
I loved the feel of the book, it felt like a really good A24 film like “Hereditary” or “Midsommar”, where the characters are fascinating and from beginning to end, there’s plenty of heavy atmosphere. Casey is a relatable character. Even though she’s very much a smarmy teenager, you understand why she’s acting the way she is, because she’s having to process a lot. It’ll be interesting to see her progression through the miniseries, especially after the startling way this issue ends.
The Art
Letizia Cadonici and Alessandro Santoro’s art on The Neighbors #1 perfectly complements the story and brings out the horror. The town natives are all drawn in bizarre and creepy fashion, ranging from the off-kilter alien look of the waitress to the towering brute of a man who shows up at their door trying to get into the house. The colors are dark and moody and the characters always seem to be partially or totally covered in shadow.
Final Thoughts
The Neighbors #1 is a strong debut issue, setting up the main characters and the tension between them as it also begins unveiling the secrets of the neighbors and the otherworldly-type town the family has moved to. It ends with a great shocker and I can’t wait to see where the miniseries goes next.